


Let the Island Bloom

by PipSqueak101



Series: KPOP THEORY SERIES [1]
Category: LUCY (Korea Band)
Genre: Dog - Freeform, Fantasy, Flowering, Gen, Lucy Island, kpop theories galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27639418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PipSqueak101/pseuds/PipSqueak101
Summary: Book 1 of my K-Pop storyline, based on LUCY's prologue and their single "Flowering."Time never stops; it only slows enough to pick up more passengers, and then it continues on its journey. There has been spread a rumor of an island which transcends all of time and reality; an island, first found in the dreams of slumbering children and then in the sight of the animals.Lucy was the first to see this island of dreams.She thought it was beautiful. But it was so stone-cold, so wintry, so abandoned.It was time to bring it back to life.
Series: KPOP THEORY SERIES [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020930
Kudos: 1





	Let the Island Bloom

He awoke with a start, eyes opening to a strange obscurity before him.

It was cold.

Very cold.

Sangyeob blinked cautiously into the dim grayness, wondering where he was and why he was outside and why it was so dark and cold. He could feel the wind biting through his jacket.

A click-clack of feet on the floor, a soft panting sound, and Sangyeob looked down to see a dog trotting up to him with a wagging tail. And suddenly he remembered where he was, and he looked down at the bench where he sat. All his luggage was still there. The ticket and the map hadn't been lost.

Sangyeob sighed and pulled his jacket tighter as the dog jumped onto the bench and nudged her nose into his side. "Good morning, Lucy," he said softly. He lay his head back down onto his suitcase and began to wonder of how this adventure started.

The station was empty, completely empty, except for the man and the dog. Previously Sangyeob had obtained his ticket from the train's new conductor, who was named Wonsang. He'd been extremely skeptical of this ticket at first, a pass to an island in the middle of nowhere; but Yechan, always up for a good adventure, had encouraged him to take it.

You should never accept train tickets to nowhere from strangers. Even Wonsang didn't know anything about the place, only that this would be the only trip the train would ever make to this place and never again.

Sangyeob shook his head. If it was a one-time trip, either the train would wait until the visit was over to take them away or it would abandon them and strand them forever. Strangely enough, he wasn't too bothered by that thought.

It surprised him how accepting he'd been of this new adventure. No one in their right mind would ever do this. He could practically hear his mother yelling in his ear. "What do you think you're doing? Why would you ever follow strangers? You are staying right home, young man, and you are not going anywhere." 

Sangyeob chuckled at his predicament and looked up into the dark gray fog, lit only by a lamppost. He missed his mother.

Why had he even accepted the ticket?

\----------------

After a couple minutes of silence, Lucy lifted her head from his lap and trotted to the edge of the platform, snout up. The rumbling of the steam engine could be felt from the distance.

Sangyeob heard before he saw it, heard the clanging of the bell, heard its volume increase as the train rumbled closer.

Where was Yechan? Both of them had decided to embark together, and yet Yechan hadn't reached the station yet. The snow must have impeded him. Sangyeob was glad he'd left early; at least it wasn't as cold at the station as in the surrounding woods.

The rumble and the clanging got louder, and the ground began to shake. Lucy barked, dancing on her feet to escape the rumbles, finally dashing back over to Sangyeob and standing stock-still by his feet.

Suddenly the light from the train lamp peeped out from the distance, so bright that the fog looked like ethereal yellow-white clouds through the stark black silhouette of the trees. The train rounded a corner and glared into the station, its headlamp illuminating the platform and the ticket house so sharply that Sangyeob nearly went blind. 

The engine was an absolutely majestic work of engineering, with its gleaming black steel boiler and shiny mirror-like wheels on the tracks and the smoke from the chimney billowing into clouds. The whistle blew loud and clear, so sudden and loud that Lucy hid behind Sangyeob with a whimper.

The door to one of the fine red cabin cars opened, and Sangyeob recognized the porter as Gwangil, who had greeted him and Yechan when he'd spoken to Wonsang about the ticket. Gwangil tipped his violet-colored hat as Sangyeob gathered his belongings and walked to the cabin. 

"You're Choi Sangyeob, is that correct?" Gwangil said, taking Sangyeob's ticket and stamping it. Sangyeob nodded. "Yes, that's me," he said, handing his suitcase to the porter. 

"And is your friend Yechan here too?" Gwangil asked.

"I don't know where he is," Sangyeob said, shaking his head. Gwangil pulled out his pocketwatch and checked it. Sangyeob noticed the gold gilding on its surface, brighter and yellower than any gold he'd ever seen, so bright it almost glowed.

Gwangil put the watch back into his pocket and dusted his jacket off. "Well, unfortunately if he isn't here within the next few moments, we'll have to leave without him. This locomotive never waits for anyone. In the meantime, why don't you go ahead inside. The dog can come too."

Sangyeob entered into the cabin, Lucy at his heels, and just as he turned his head, he heard the faint shout of Yechan's voice. And there he was, his friend, running through the snow with his luggage. "I'm here, I'm here, wait for me," Yechan called.

Suddenly the train whistle blew, and Sangyeob stumbled as the train began moving forward. Yechan ran, ran harder, soaring across the platform and catching the cabin doors right before the train left the station. "I've made it, let me in!" he called, breath heaving, fumbling with his suitcase. Gwangil quickly opened the door and ushered him inside, gently taking the suitcase from the man's hands.

For some reason, Sangyeob had not felt a drop of panic seeing his friend wade through the snow. It surprised him how calm he'd been, almost as if he were sure that Yechan would make it on time. A rather mystical experience.

Yechan exhaled in relief and accidentally bumped into Lucy as he backed up. "Oh! I'm sorry, Lulu! Are you okay?" he said, bending down to scratch the dog's ears. Lucy happily licked kisses onto his face in return, tail wagging gently.

"Well, you made it," Sangyeob said, putting his hand on Yechan's shoulder. Yechan nodded. "I guess I did," he said.

Gwangil came back through the inner door. They hadn't even noticed him leave. "Conductor Wonsang wants to meet with both of you inside," he said. "I'll take you to each of your chambers and you can settle down before you talk with him. There's also a kennel set up for your dog down the passageway, her name is Lucy, is that correct?"

"Yes, Lucy," Sangyeob said. 

"Alright, well, come with me, then," Gwangil said. "I'll take you to your rooms, and when people you're ready you can call me to bring you to Wonsang." 

The inside of the cabin was rather cozy and warm, much in contrast to the biting cold outside. Four lights in the ceiling, decorated glass to refract light like a chandelier, the light reflecting off the gold-gilt wallpapers like gentle candlelight. It was as if a spell had been cast over the moving structure. Lucy excitedly explored the car, sniffing at the vase by the wall, nudging the shiny oak doors, prancing on the velvety blue carpet.

Yechan looked at Sangyeob, eyes full of wonder. "Do you think we made the right choice to go?" he asked.

Sangyeob sighed and took his hat off, looking around. "I don't even know, hyung. All I know now, is that we're here, and we're not going back."

The men shared a smile, and Sangyeob opened the door to his room. "I'll meet with you when we talk to Wonsang later. Come on, Lucy, let's go."

And after a pitter-patter of pawsteps and the closing of doors, it was quiet. 


End file.
